Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and is also based on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur provide higher awards. In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player can vary.
Certain known gaming machines provide reel games implemented using a plurality of independent reels, wherein each independent reel is configured to generate a single symbol for a spin of the reel. Such gaming machines display the plurality of independent reels in a matrix or other arrangement of independent reels. For a play of a game provided by such gaming machines, the gaming machine generates and displays a plurality of symbols by spinning each independent reel. The gaming machine provides an award for any winning symbol or winning symbol combination displayed by the plurality of independent reels.
Symbol stacking in a reel game is also known. Symbol stacking is implemented by forming stacks of one or more identical symbols in adjacent symbol positions of a reel strip utilized by a single reel. The identical symbols on the same single reel are adjacent to each other, and thus “stacked.” For example, in a slot game with three rows of symbols, three cherry symbols may appear adjacent to each other on a reel to form a stack of three cherry symbols. For a spin of the stacked reel of such a slot game, part or all of a stack of symbols can be displayed in a viewing area of the gaming machine. In one known slot gaming device, when a gaming machine generates stacks of symbols that are identical on three or more adjacent reels, multiple winning symbol combinations can be formed and the gaming machine can provide large payouts to the player if portions of one or more stacks of symbols are displayed.
Gaming machines which provide cascading symbol games are also known. In one such cascading symbol game, a gaming machine generates and displays a plurality of symbols in a plurality of symbol positions. The gaming machine evaluates the displayed symbols and provides an award for each winning symbol combination formed. The gaming machine then removes the displayed symbols that form the winning symbol combination(s) to create one or more empty symbol positions. The gaming machine shifts zero, one, or more of the remaining displayed symbols downward into zero, one, or more of the empty symbol positions and generates and displays a symbol for each remaining empty symbol position. The gaming machine re-evaluates the displayed symbols, provides an award for any displayed winning symbol combinations and repeats the steps of removing symbols, shifting symbols, generating new symbols, and evaluating symbol combinations until no winning symbol combination is displayed.
There is a continuing need to increase the excitement and entertainment experienced by people playing gaming machines. There is a further need for increasing the number of winning symbol combinations generated and awards provided to a player for a single play of a game.